Villager

Also appears in

Availability

Character Statistics

Villager is the main character of the Animal Crossing series. He was revealed at E3 2013 and was the first newcomer to be revealed.

He currently ranks 25th on the tier list. His attacks are versatile in offense, defense, and recovery, and many of them have disjointed hitboxes with incredible range, namely his forward smash, forward aerial, and back aerial. He also has one of if not the best recoveries in the game. However, Villager is extremely light and many of his attacks have high starting and ending lag.

Pocket can pick items and projectiles for later. It also grants some invincibility during most of its execution, functioning similar to a dodge. It can also "steal" some opponents items and preventing from using again (i.e. Diddy Kong's Banana Peel).

Lloid Rocket can be used for recovery and for attacking, as it causes good damage and knockback.

Timber is powerful when correctly used. The Watering and Lumbering steps can be used regardless of the player position when the tree is fully grown. Watering has pushboxes and Lumbering has hitboxes with decent knockback.

Balloon Trip gives him the highest vertical recovery in the game, and can be easily controlled.

Weaknesses

Lightweight and floaty, being susceptible to attacks and being launched.

Fourth slowest dash speed, being slightly faster than Ganondorf.

Very low range on many moves, most notably Forward and Down Smash Attacks.

Very weak Aerial Attacks.

Forward Smash, Forward Air, Back Air, and Dash Attack can be reflected.

Some of his attacks have high startup and ending lags.

Grab has high ending lag if it misses.

Very weak throws.

Unreliable Special Meteor Smash due to randomness.

Few moves with KO power.

Timber requires a lot of preparation, and the tree can be destroyed by other characters.

Lloid Rocket can be reflected, so if being used as recovery, it may lead to an SD.

Balloon Trip is very easy to intercept since it moves slowly, and popping all the balloons will cause Villager to fall in a helpless state.

Summary

The Villager is primarily a defensive, but very versatile character, with good variety of moves for every situation. Much like Mr. Game & Watch, he fights using various miscellaneous objects from his series to attack. With that in mind, many of his attacks have disjointed hitboxes, meaning he can gain the upper hand in some situations by not exposing parts of his body during attacks. His Grab is notable for having a large radius and range.

Villager has a lot of tools at his disposal; in the Animal Crossing games, players never know what will happen next; they've just got to take every day as it comes. In Smash, players kind of need to do the same with Villager, using the right tools depending on the situation he and the opponent are currently in.

He has lots of fast moves, especially Aerials, that allows him to dish out damage really quickly and poke/interrupt opponents. His Forward and Back Aerials are notable for being one of the few ranged Aerials in the game that are not Special Attacks, having great range (traveling about less than half of Final Destination).

Villager's jab is good for putting on damage but is otherwise not too great. His forward tilt is great for spacing and combos. His up tilt hits twice and is a reliable way to get opponents into the air for an aerial follow-up attack like an up air. His down tilt is equally useful for this.

Villager's smash attacks are all very unique in that they all have varying uses. His up smash is great for covering Villager from the air and actually combos into itself at low percentages and combos out of his down throw. His down smash will bury opponents and is a good combo setup. It is a good habit to use this at higher percentages so that opponents will be buried longer giving Villager more time to get off an attack. His forward smash doesn't have much horizontal range to it but is great move nonetheless. It has a lot of launch power and is great for edge-guarding. Low-recovering opponents will answer to a bowling ball dropped over the ledge and onto their head.

Villager has a lot of combo options in the air but little to no killing options. His neutral air is good for combos and spacing. Villager's forward air and back air can kill at high percentages at close range and are great for clearing space on the edge; when recovering, use the midair jump and forward air; the great range of the move will clear space on the edge for Villager despite not having much damage behind it. The forward air and back air can continue combos from a good range. Villager's up air is great for juggling. The launch power varies depending on the number of turnips; three turnips can kill off the ceiling at around 110%. His down air is good for putting on damage but is an unreliable meteor since the meteor effect is only there with three turnips.

Villager's throws are pretty straight forward. Up throw is good for setting up an up air but otherwise isn't very useful. His down throw can combo into up smash, up tilt, forward air, neutral air, up air, and back air. Forward and back throws are good for getting opponents off-stage to set up for a bowling ball kill.

His most notable and unique special is his Neutral Special Attack, Pocket, which allows him to store items for later use. The possibilities of this move are huge, as he can pocket many items, as well other character's projectiles ranging from Link's Bombs to Samus' Charge Shot. When the projectiles the Villager picked are thrown back, they are 1.9x stronger than the originals. Another notable use is the huge amount of invincibility frames the move grants. What differences this from normal dodge is that when used with some momentum canceling techniques, Pocket can greatly improve his recovering and protect him from edge guarding. It should be noted that held items stay on Villager's Pocket for 30 seconds, and if not used within this time limit it will disappear forever. Pocket will work even if an opponent is firing a projectile from behind Villager; Pocket has a good range that goes behind Villager as well. This is a good way to catch an opponent off guard by putting them in the sense that Villager is vulnerable when he is in fact not. Don't do this too often or they will catch onto it or Villager will get the timing wrong.

Lloid Rocket is another very useful attack, as the Villager can either mount on it to help him recover or just let go the attack. Villager can ride the rocket and this can lead into some good combos if it hits. Ride the rocket until it hits the opponent at which point Villager will leap upwards; immediately use down air or neutral air to hit the opponent, which can then lead into a forward tilt or down tilt if done correctly. Now the Lloid Rocket provides a good horizontal recovery, but if Villager is facing an opponent with a reflector, don't use this method of recovery or he will be killed for it. It is powerful enough to KO at higher percentages, and is useful to shield the Villager from attacks, making it useful to use Timber at a safer range. It is also a very powerful edge-guard tool, being on more obstacle to the opponent while the Villager uses Timber and Forward Smash. Players can also use Lloid Rocket at an opponent grabbing the ledge, causing a stage spike. It is good for zoning and has a number of strategies that work with it. Now for some good Lloid Rocket strategies. If the opponent reflects the Lloid Rocket back at Villager, Pocket it. Then, use the side special and immediately after, take the other rocket out of Pocket. This will give the opponent two Rockets to deal with; either they'll deal with one and get hit by the other, or they'll shield/reflect both of them. If they opt for the latter option, jump above them and hit them with a down air or go behind them and grab. A good strategy while recovering is to fire the Rocket when Villager is parallel to the ledge; do not get on the rocket. Instead, recover low to the edge using the Balloon Trip. The rocket will force edge-guarding opponents to retreat in some way, giving Villager breathing room on the Edge.

Villager's up special is among the best recoveries in the game. Recovering low with it is a good option but it can be used for some horizontal movement as well. If Villager is recovering with this move, always go for the ledge. Recovering high with this move is a bad idea since the move leaves Villager vulnerable and the opponent will punish him for it. Popping one balloon causes Villager to rise more slowly, and popping both balloons puts Villager into a helpless state.

Timber is one of Villager's best tools. Once he has planted the sprout, Villager gets the watering can, which possesses pushboxes. These can be used for edge-guarding if done right. Once Villager has watered the sprout, it will grow into the tree. This tree has lots of uses. It provides Villager with defense against enemy attacks. A great strategy with the tree is the Tree Fort strategy. Plant the tree and grow it to full size. Stay behind the tree and get very close to the tree; then, use the Lloid Rocket. The rocket will fly forwards on the other side of the tree and hit opponents; it can also force opponents into the air, which Villager can then fend off with a forward air. If they are bombarding the tree fort with projectiles, Pocket a projectile and roll to the other side of the tree. Throw out the projectile and then roll back to the original position. This can also be done with the Lloid Rocket. If the opponent gets too close, roll to the other side of the tree and swing the axe to launch them. A good habit is to put one hack into the tree as soon as Villager grows it so that if an opponent gets too close Villager can chop it down right away with one strike. The tree has a lot of launch power while sprouting up and when falling down. The axe provides Villager with a kill move in the air and on the ground, so if the opponent is expecting Villager to roll around the tree and fire a rocket off, surprise them by swinging the axe instead, provided they're in range. The tree is also good for edge-guarding, planting it on the edge will pressure the opponent when they are on the edge, and chopping down the tree if they are recovering low will make them wish they hadn't. The tree also possesses a powerful hitbox when it grows that stays active for a deceptively long time, lingering for a small time after the tree is fully grown.

However, the Villager's weaknesses lies in his low attack range and lack of KO moves, with his few powerful attacks requiring him to be really close (i.e. Forward Smash). His Aerial Attacks, while useful for spacing, lack KO Power (unless the player can get three turnips on Up and Down Aerials, or lands a close-range Forward or Back Aerial at higher percents), meaning his air game is mainly for poking and preventing enemy approach. Also, most of his good moves come with a large drawback. Balloon Trip, while good for recovering as the player can control the trajectory, is easy to overcome as other players can pop the balloons and render him helpless. Timber can cause massive knockback if the player manages to grow the tree underneath the opponent or chop down the tree and hit opponents, but it takes a long time to grow the tree and chop it at the opponent in the right time. However, while opponents can destroy the tree, it takes a lot of hits to destroy as opposed to Villager's two axe swings. Also, when used correctly, chopping the tree can even Meteor Smash opponents.

Overall, the Villager gameplay is a bit unorthodox, but he is a very good character; the player must learn to overcome his weaknesses, time his attacks properly and learn the gimmicks behind his moves. Combining all his varied tools, the Villager has massively powerful edge guarding, one of the best (if not the best) in the game.

Moveset

Ground Attacks

Neutral Attack - Villager jabs quickly with a pair of boxing gloves. It can be used infinitely, but it doesn't feature a finishing move.

Forward Tilt - Pulls an umbrella out and swings it from his side.

Up Tilt - Villager pulls out a stick and spins it above him. This move hits twice. A bit slow and with low range. Deceptively high knockback.

Down Tilt - Plucks grass out of the ground. This move sends opponents flying upwards, similar to Peach's Down Tilt. The weed has low range and deals more damage, while the small 'shock wave' that results has a high range for a tilt and deals less damage.

Dash Attack - Villager falls to the ground holding a potted plant, hitting the opponent with the plant. The plant slides a little way before hitting the ground and breaking. The distance the pot travels when he falls is random, but doesn't affect knockback. The plant acts as a projectile.

Smash Attacks

Side Smash - Villager holds a bowling ball in front of him and drops it to the ground. Very slow and with extremely low horizontal range. When used by the ledge it will continue to fall until crossing the blast zone or hitting a platform.

Up Smash - Villager places a firework launcher onto the ground and charges. Fireworks then shoot right above him and explode. It hits multiple times, with the final hit causing considerable knockback.

Down Smash - Digs into the ground using a shovel. This move is done on both sides, burying anyone caught in the attack. Very fast.

Aerial Attacks

Neutral Aerial - Villager does a sideflip while airborne. It has a considerable long hitbox and a quite useful Sex Kick.

Forward Aerial - Shoots a projectile using a slingshot. The damage and knockback are higher at close range and weaker at the end of its range, despite featuring a projectile. Travels great distance.

Back Aerial - Shoots a projectile backwards using a slingshot, much like his Forward Aerial.

Up Aerial - Randomly swings upwards with one, two or three turnips. The number of turnips used is between one and three, and is random. One does little damage, while two does medium. Three does a fairly large amount of damage if timed properly.

Down Aerial - Randomly swings downwards with one, two or three turnips. This works the same way as the Up Aerial, but the only difference is that this attack hits downwards. Hitting with three turnips causes a Meteor Smash.

Grab, Pummel, and Throws

Grab - The Villager uses a bug-catching net to grab his opponents. The bug-net has a large radius in which it can execute a grab.

Pummel - The Villager tugs on his victim caught in the bug-net.

Throws - The Villager proceeds to throw the opponent in one of four directions depending on the direction chosen.

Up - Gets on his tiptoes and cheers three times, putting his hands up.

Side - Does a little dance (the Shrunk Funk Shuffle), waving his arms and feet around.

Down - Pokes the ground twice with a stick.

In competitive play

To be added.

Trophy descriptions

Villager

An energetic young man from a peaceful town in Animal Crossing, he is eager to make his Smash Bros. debut! His Balloon Trip recovery lets him fly like a character from Balloon Fight. The Villager sets out to answer that age-old question: If a tree falls on the battlefield and foes are beneath it, do they get launched?

Animal Crossing (09/2002)

Animal Crossing: New Leaf (06/2013)

Villager (Alt.)

Just a normal girl living a normal life in a normal town—her special moves, however, are anything but. She can pocket items, projectiles, and even beams, and then pull them out at a moment's notice. Her down special lets her plant a tree, water it, and chop it down. If she leaves the tree standing, she can use the axe against foes.

Animal Crossing (09/2002)

Animal Crossing: New Leaf (06/2013)

Dream Home

If you're wanting to buy a house in Animal Crossing, Tom Nook is always happy to help. And it looks like he's expanding his business to Smash Bros, too. If you activate the Villager's Final Smash, Nook will rush in and build a house for you right then and there! One small, very minor difference between this house and ones in the original game? This one explodes.

Trivia

Sakurai initially considered adding the Villager to Brawl, however, he felt it was impossible due to the Villager not being suited for battle.

Both Mii Fighters and the Villager were characters Sakurai considered adding to the previous installment.

The Villager's feature trailer is the shortest of all the newcomers (since it only shows him opening the letter inviting him to Smash Bros. and later using his net on Mario), considering it is also a trailer for the game itself.

Villager has alternate costumes that allows for one to play as other variants, including female Villagers.

This also makes the Villager one of five fighters to have an alternate playable gender. The others being Wii Fit Trainer, Robin, Bowser Jr. & Corrin.

The Villager is the only character in the game whose grab fully envelops the opponent.

The Villager Forward Smash has the highest vertical range (when used from by a ledge) and the lowest horizontal range of all Forward Smashes in the series.

The Villager is the only new character to appear on both version's box art.

The move Balloon Trip for the Villager was likely chosen due to Balloon Fight being the most common collectible NES game in the original Animal Crossing.

Timber is the only attack in the game that is technically 3-in-1, or rather, a Special Attack that has 3 steps: plant seed, watering and lumbering.

Villager is the first character to have aerial attacks that vary in power each time it is used (Up and Down Aerials).

Ever since it was revealed that the Villager would be in the upcoming release, there has been an internet meme saying that the Villager is a psychotic, ruthless murderer. This was because of his arsenal (mostly his axe), the fact that he gets a gleam in his eye during the preview of the game and because he has a constant smile on his face, in stark contrast to the rampant violence he inflicts.